Rolling child carrier

ABSTRACT

A child carrier includes a wheeled base and a child seat coupled to the wheeled base. The child seat is adapted to support a seated child during movement of the child carrier along the ground.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to Netherlands Patent Application No.2009531, filed Sep. 28, 2012, which is hereby incorporated in itsentirety herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is related to child carriers. More particularly,the present disclosure is related to child carriers including wheelsthat allow a child carrier to be rolled along the ground.

SUMMARY

An illustrative child carrier is adapted to carry a child and acaregiver as the child carrier rolls along the ground. The child carrierincludes a wheeled base and a child seat. The wheeled base is adapted tosupport a standing caregiver while the child seat supports a seatedchild as the child carrier rolls along the ground.

In illustrative embodiments, the child seat is coupled to the wheeledbase for movement from an upright-use position to a collapsed-storageposition. In the upright-use position, the child seat extends up fromthe wheeled base so that a child seated in the child seat is supportedabove the ground during operation of the child carrier. In thecollapsed-storage position, the child seat extends along wheeled so thatthe child carrier has a relatively low profile during storage of thechild carrier.

In illustrative embodiments, the child carrier includes a seat-positionlock that provides means for blocking or allowing movement of the childseat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position.The seat-position lock includes a support arm coupled to the child seatand a support-arm retainer coupled to the wheeled base. The support armis coupled to the child seat to pivot relative to the child seat. Thesupport-arm retainer is coupled to the wheeled base and engages thesupport arm to block movement of the child seat to the collapsed storageposition when the seat-position lock is locked.

In illustrative embodiments, the child carrier includes a brake unitthat provides means for slowing the child carrier while a caregiverrides the child carrier. The brake unit includes a brake pedal, left andright friction plugs, and left and right struts that interconnect thebrake pedal and friction plugs. The brake pedal is coupled to thewheeled base and is adapted to be pressed downwardly by a caregiver'sfoot to operate the brake unit. The friction plugs are moved intocontact with back wheels of the wheeled base when a caregiver pressesdownwardly on the brake pedal to create friction between the frictionplugs and the back wheels so that rotation of the wheels is resisted andthe child carrier slows down.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodimentsexemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presentlyperceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figuresin which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rolling child carrier supporting astanding caregiver and a sitting child for rolling movement along theground showing that the child carrier includes a wheeled base adapted toroll along the ground, a child seat coupled to a front end of thewheeled base to pivot about a seat axis relative to the wheeled base, aseat-position lock coupled between the wheeled base and the child seatto block or allow movement of the child seat about the seat axis towardand away from the wheeled base, and a brake unit coupled to a back endof the wheeled base to slow movement of the child carrier along theground;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the child carrier of FIG. 1 showing thechild seat in an upright-use position in which the child seat extendsupwardly from the wheeled base so that the a child seated in the childseat is supported above the ground and showing that the seat-positionlock includes a support arm coupled to and arranged to extend away fromthe child seat and a support-arm retainer coupled to the wheeled baseand engaged with the support arm to block movement of the support armrelative to the child seat so that the seat-position lock is locked andblocks movement of the child seat about the seat axis from theupright-use position toward a collapsed-storage position as shown inFIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the child carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2showing the child seat pivoted about the seat axis relative to thewheeled base from the upright-use position, shown in FIG. 2, to thecollapsed-storage position in which the child seat extends along thewheeled base so that the child carrier has a relatively low profile forstorage and showing that the support arm is arranged to extend along thechild seat after being disengaged from the support-arm retainer so thatthe seat-position lock is unlocked and allows movement of the child seatabout the seat axis toward and away from the wheeled base;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the child carrier of FIGS. 1-3showing that the wheeled base includes an elongated deck board, frontand back wheel trucks coupled to the deck board, and a pivot mountcoupled to the deck board, also showing that the child seat includes asling frame adapted to be coupled to the pivot mount of the wheeledbase, a child-support sling coupled to the sling frame, a caregiver gripcoupled to the sling frame, and a child grip coupled to the sling frame,further showing that the seat-position lock includes the support-armretainer adapted to be coupled to the wheeled base and the support armadapted to be coupled to the sling frame to pivot relative to the slingframe, and finally showing that the brake unit includes a brake pedalcoupled to the deck board to pivot relative to the deck board, left andright friction plugs coupled to the back wheel truck, and left and rightstruts arranged to extend from the brake pedal to the corresponding leftand right friction plugs;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the child carrier of FIGS. 1-4showing the child seat in the upright-use position arranged to extendupwardly from the wheeled base prior to a caregiver unlocking theseat-position lock, as suggested in FIGS. 6-10, so that the child seatcan be pivoted about the seat axis toward the wheeled base, as suggestedin FIG. 11, to assume finally the collapsed-storage position as shown inFIG. 12;

FIG. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of FIG. 5 annotated toinclude a series of arrows suggesting steps taken to unlock theseat-position lock, as shown in FIGS. 7-10, and to move the child seatfrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position as shownin FIG. 11;

FIG. 6A is a detail perspective view of a portion of FIG. 6 showing thatthe support-arm retainer includes a receiver adapted to receive aportion of the support arm and a blocker movable from an engagedposition arranged to block movement of the support arm out of thereceiver to a disengaged position arranged to allow movement of thesupport arm out of the receiver and suggesting that a first step inunlocking the seat-position lock is moving the blocker from the engagedposition to the disengaged position so that the support arm is allowedto move relative to the receiver;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 6 after a caregiver movesthe blocker of the support-arm retainer from the engaged position to thedisengaged position during the first step of unlocking the seat-positionlock so that the support arm is allowed to move out of the receiver ofthe support-arm retainer, as shown in more detail in FIG. 7A, andsuggesting that a second step in unlocking the seat-position lock ispivoting the support arm relative to the sling frame about an arm axisso that the support arm is moved out of the receiver included in thesupport arm retainer as shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 7A is a detail perspective view of a portion of FIG. 7 showing theblocker of the support-arm retainer from the engaged position to thedisengaged position so that the support arm is allowed to move out ofthe receiver of the support-arm retainer as shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIGS. 6 and 7 after a caregiver pivots thesupport arm relative to the sling frame about the arm axis and out ofthe receiver included in the support-arm retainer during the second stepof unlocking the seat-position lock so that the sling frame of the childseat is allowed to pivot about the seat axis away from the wheeled baseand suggesting that a third step in unlocking the seat-position lock ispivoting the sling frame about the seat axis away from the wheeled baseas shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 after a caregiver pivotsthe sling frame about the seat axis away from the wheeled base duringthe third step of unlocking the seat-position lock so that the supportarm can be moved toward the sling frame of the child seat without beingblocked by the support-arm retainer and suggesting that a fourth step inunlocking the seat-position lock is pivoting the support arm toward thesling frame of the child seat so that the support arm extends along thesling frame of the child seat as shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 after a caregiverpivots the support arm into position extending along the sling frame ofthe child seat unlocking the seat-position lock so that the support armis moved out of the way of the child seat moving about the seat axistoward the wheeled base and to the collapsed-storage position as shownin FIG. 11;

FIG. 11 partial perspective view of the child carrier shown in FIG. 10after a caregiver has unlocked the seat-position lock as shown in FIGS.6-10 showing the child seat pivoted about the seat axis toward thewheeled base into the collapsed-storage position shown more particularlyin FIG. 12;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the child carrier of FIG. 3 showingthe child seat in the collapsed-storage position arranged to extendalong the wheeled base so that the child carrier has a relatively lowprofile for storage or transportation by a caregiver;

FIG. 13 is a detail rear perspective view of a portion of the wheeledbase and the brake unit included in the child carrier of FIGS. 1-4showing that the brake unit is coupled between the deck board and theback-wheel truck of the wheeled base;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 13 showing thatthe back-wheel truck of the wheeled base includes a hanger adapted to becoupled to the deck board, an axle coupled to the hanger to pivotrelative to the hanger, and left and right wheels coupled to the axleand showing that the brake unit includes the brake pedal adapted to becoupled to the deck board, the left and right friction plugs adapted tobe coupled to the axle, the left and right struts arranged to extendfrom the brake pedal to the corresponding left and right friction plugs,and left and right return springs adapted to bias the brake unit towarda disengaged position as shown in FIG. 15 and to resist movement of thebrake unit toward an engaged position as shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 15 is a rear elevation view of a portion of the wheeled base andthe brake unit included in the child carrier showing the brake unit inthe disengaged before a caregiver presses downwardly on the brake pedaland showing that the left and right friction plugs of the brake unit areout of contact with the corresponding left and right wheels of theback-wheel truck so that rotation of the left and right wheels is notresisted by the left and right friction plugs; and

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 showing the brake unit in theengaged position after a caregiver presses downwardly on the brake pedaland showing that the left and right friction plugs of the brake unit aremoved into contact with the corresponding left and right wheels of theback-wheel truck as a result of the left and right struts convertingdownward movement of the brake pedal into outward movement of the leftand right friction plugs so that rotation of the left and right wheelsis resisted by the left and right friction plugs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An illustrative rolling child carrier 10 is adapted to carry a child anda caregiver as child carrier 10 moves along the ground 15 as shown inFIG. 1. Child carrier 10 illustratively includes a wheeled base 12 and achild seat 14 as shown, for example, in FIG. 1. Wheeled base 12 isadapted to support a standing caregiver while child seat 14 supports aseated child. Thus, child carrier 10 can support both a caregiver and achild riding child carrier 10 along the ground 15.

In the illustrative embodiment, child seat 14 is coupled to wheeled base12 for movement about a seat axis 14A from an upright-use position asshown in FIG. 2 to a collapsed-storage position as shown in FIG. 3. Inthe upright-use position, child seat 14 is arranged to extend upwardlyfrom wheeled base 12 so that a child in the child seat is supportedabove the ground. In the collapsed-storage position, child seat 14 isarranged to extend along wheeled base 12 so that child carrier 10 has arelatively low profile for storage and transportation.

Child carrier 10 includes a seat-position lock 20 that provides meansfor blocking or allowing movement of child seat 14 about seat axis 14Afrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position assuggested in FIGS. 5-10. Seat-position lock 20 illustratively includes asupport arm 22 and a support-arm retainer 24 as shown in FIG. 4. Supportarm 22 is coupled to child seat 14 for movement about an arm axis 22Aand is illustratively U-shaped having a left leg 31, a right leg 32, anda crossbar 33. Support-arm retainer 24 is coupled to wheeled base 12 andengages support arm 22 when seat-position lock 20 blocks movement ofchild seat 14 from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storageposition.

Support-arm retainer 24 of seat-position lock 20 illustratively includesa receiver 26 and a blocker 28 as shown in FIG. 4. Receiver 26 iscoupled to wheeled base 12 and is formed to include a channel 27 sizedto receive crossbar 33 of support arm 22. Blocker 28 is illustrativelycoupled to receiver 26 by a living hinge 29 for movement about a blockeraxis 28A. Blocker 28 moves from an engaged position arranged to blockmovement of support arm 22 out of channel 27 to a disengaged positionarranged to allow movement of support arm 22 out of channel 27.

Child carrier 10 includes a brake unit 30 that provides means forslowing child carrier 10 while a caregiver rides child carrier 10 alongthe ground 15 as shown in FIG. 1. Brake unit 30 includes a brake pedal34, left and right friction plugs 35, 36, left and right struts 37, 38,and left and right return springs 39, 40 as shown in FIG. 14.

Brake pedal 34 is coupled to wheeled base 12 and is adapted to bepressed downwardly by a caregiver's foot to operate brake unit 30 assuggested by arrow 34D in FIGS. 15 and 16. Left and right friction plugs35, 36 are moved outwardly to a braked position as suggested by arrows350, 360 in response to the caregiver pressing brake pedal 34 to slowmovement of child carrier 10 along the ground 15 as shown in FIGS. 15and 16. Left and right struts 37, 38 interconnect brake pedal 34 withfriction plugs 35, 36 and convert downward movement of brake pedal 34into outward movement of friction plugs 35, 36 as shown in FIGS. 15-16.Left and right return springs 39, 40 are coupled to friction plugs 35,36 and bias friction plugs 35, 36 inwardly toward an unbraked position.

Wheeled base 12 illustratively includes an elongated deck board 45, afront-wheel truck 44, a back-wheel truck 46, and a pivot mount 48 asshown in FIG. 4. Front-wheel truck 44 is coupled to deck board 45 at afront end 41 of deck board 45. Back-wheel truck 46 is coupled to deckboard 45 at a back end 42 of deck board 45. Pivot mount 48 is coupled todeck board 45 at front end 41 of deck board 45 and is coupled to childseat 14 to define seat axis 14A.

Deck board 45 includes a central platform 50, a front platform 54, and aback platform 56 as shown in FIG. 4. Central platform 50 is sized tosupport two feet of a standing caregiver in generally heel-to-toeposition. Front platform 54 is connected to central platform 50 by anS-joint 55 so that front platform 54 is arranged forward of and abovecentral platform 50. Back platform 56 is connected to central platform50 by an S-joint 57 so that back platform 56 is arranged rearward of andabove central platform 50.

Front-wheel truck 44 is coupled to front platform 54 of deck board 45and extends downwardly from front platform 54 as shown in FIG. 4.Front-wheel truck 44 illustratively includes a hanger 58, an axle 60, aleft wheel 61, and a right wheel 62. Hanger 58 is coupled to frontplatform 54. Axle 60 is coupled to hanger 58 for movement relative tohanger 58 about an axle axis 60A which forms a non-perpendicular angle αwith deck board 45 as shown in FIG. 12. Left and right wheels 61, 62 arecoupled to axle 60 for rotation.

Back-wheel truck 46 is coupled to back platform 56 of deck board 45 andextends downwardly from back platform 56 as shown in FIG. 14. Back-wheeltruck 46 illustratively includes a hanger 68, an axle 70, a left wheel71, and a right wheel 72. Hanger 68 is coupled to back platform 56. Axle70 is coupled to hanger 68 for movement relative to hanger 68 about anaxle axis 70A which forms a non-perpendicular angle β with deck board 45as shown in FIG. 12. Left and right wheels 71, 72 are coupled to axle 70for rotation. By coupling axles 60, 70 to hangers 58, 68 and deck board45 for movement about axes 60A, 70A, a caregiver can pivot deck board 45over a limited range of motion about a longitudinal axis 45A of deckboard 45 to thereby steer child carrier 10.

Child seat 14 is adapted to support a child sitting illustrativelyincludes a sling mount 74, a child-support sling 76 coupled to slingmount 74, and a child grip 78 coupled to sling mount 74 as shown in FIG.4. Sling mount 74 is coupled to front platform 54 of deck board 45 bypivot mount 48 for movement about seat axis 14A. Child-support sling 76is adapted to support a sitting child. Child grip 78 provides a handlefor a child sitting on child-support sling 76.

Sling mount 74 illustratively forms a continuous hoop to structurallysupport child-support sling 76 and includes a sling frame 80 and acaregiver grip 82 as shown in FIG. 4. Sling frame 80 is adapted tostretch child-support sling 76 so that child-support sling 76 is shapedto support a sitting child. Caregiver grip 82 provides a handle for acaregiver standing on wheeled base 12.

Sling frame 80 is U-shaped and includes a left arm 83, a right arm 84, acrossbeam 85 interconnecting left and right arms 83, 84, left and rightarm brackets 86, 87, and a pivot coupler 88 as shown, for example, inFIG. 4. Left arm bracket 86 is coupled to left arm 83 of sling frame 80about midway between crossbeam 85 and caregiver grip 82. Right armbracket 87 is coupled to right arm 84 of sling frame 80 about midwaybetween crossbeam 85 and caregiver grip 82. Pivot coupler 88 is coupledto crossbeam 85 and is coupled to pivot mount 48 to allow movement ofchild seat 14 about seat axis 14A.

Left leg 31 of support arm 22 is coupled to left arm bracket 86 of slingframe 80 as shown in FIG. 4. Right leg 32 of support arm 22 is coupledto right arm bracket 87 of sling frame 80. Support-arm retainer 24 iscoupled to front platform 54 of deck board 45.

Child-support sling 76 illustratively includes a chair 90 and a harness92 as shown in FIG. 4. Chair 90 is illustratively made from fabric andforms a seat bottom 93, a seat back 94 extending up from the seat bottom93, and a foot rest 95 extending down from the seat bottom 93. Harness92 is illustratively a five-point harness but in other embodiments maybe three-point harness, a lap harness, or the like.

Brake unit 30, brake pedal 34 is coupled to back platform 56 as shown inFIGS. 13 and 14. Friction plugs 35, 36 are coupled to axle 70 ofback-wheel truck 46 to slide along axle 70. Struts 37, 38 interconnectbrake pedal 34 and friction plugs 35, 36 and push friction plugs 35, 36outwardly from the unbraked position, out of contact with the wheels 71,72, to the braked position, in contact with the wheels 71, 72 assuggested in FIG. 16. Return springs 39, 40 are coupled to frictionplugs 35, 36 and pull friction plugs 35, 36 inwardly from the brakedposition to the unbraked position as suggested in FIG. 15.

Brake pedal 34 illustratively includes a press pad 96 arranged to extendover back platform 56 and connection member 98 arranged to extend underback platform 56 as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. Press pad 96 is adapted tobe pressed by the foot of a caregiver during operation of brake unit 30.Connection member 98 is coupled to left and right struts 37, 38 to allowstruts 37, 38 to pivot relative to brake pedal 34.

In operation, a caregiver presses downwardly on brake pedal 34 assuggested in FIGS. 15 and 16 to engage the brake unit 30. In response todownward movement of the brake pedal 34, friction pugs 35, 36 are movedoutwardly as suggested by arrows 350 and 360 in FIGS. 15 and 16. Whenfriction pugs 35, 36 engage back wheels 71, 72, brake unit 30 is engagedto slow movement of child carrier 10 as shown in FIG. 16.

To move seat-position lock 16 from a locked configuration to an unlockedconfiguration a caregiver performs a number of steps as suggested inFIGS. 6-10. In the locked configuration, seat-position lock 16 blocksmovement of child seat 14 about seat axis 14A from the upright-useposition to the collapsed-storage position as shown in FIG. 5. In theunlocked configuration, seat-position lock 16 allows a caregiver topivot child seat 14 down about seat axis 14A from the upright-useposition to the collapsed-storage position as suggested by arrow P inFIG. 11.

In a first step of unlocking seat-position lock 20, a caregiver movesblocker 28 of support-arm retainer 24 from the engaged position, shownin FIG. 6, to the disengaged position, shown in FIG. 7, as suggested byarrow 1 in FIGS. 6A and 7A. Movement of blocker 28 allows support arm 22to move relative to receiver 26 as suggested by arrow 2 in FIG. 7.

In a second step of unlocking seat-position lock 20, a caregiver pivotssupport arm 22 relative to child seat 14 about arm axis 22A as suggestedby arrow 2 in FIG. 7. Pivoting of support arm 22 moves support arm 22out of receiver 26 so that child seat 14 is allowed to pivot about seataxis 14A away from wheeled base 12 as shown in FIG. 8.

In a third step of unlocking seat-position lock 20, a caregiver pivotschild seat 14 about seat axis 14A away from wheeled base 12 as suggestedby arrow 3 in FIG. 8. Pivoting of child seat 14 allows support arm 22 tobe moved toward child seat 14 without being blocked by support-armretainer 24 as shown in FIG. 9.

In a fourth step of unlocking seat-position lock 20, a caregiver pivotssupport arm 22 toward child seat 14 so that support arm 22 extends alongchild seat 14 as shown in FIG. 10. The seat-position lock 20 is nowunlocked and child seat 14 can assume the position shown in FIG. 11.

When seat-position lock 20 is in the unlocked configuration, a caregivercan pivot child seat 14 about seat axis 14A from the expanded-useposition to the collapsed-storage position as suggested by arrow P inFIG. 11. In the collapsed-storage position, child seat 14 extends overwheeled base 12 so that child carrier 10 has a relatively low profilefor storage and/or transportation of child carrier 10 as shown in FIG.12.

An illustrative child carrier 10 for transporting a child by an adultmay include a wheeled base 12 and a child seat 14 as shown in FIGS.1-16. The wheeled base 12 may include an elongated deck board 45 havinga central platform 50 sized to provide a footrest for the adult, twofront wheels 61, 62, and a back wheel 71. The child seat 14 may includea sling mount 74 and a child-support sling 76 for the child connected tothe sling mount 74.

In some embodiments, the front wheels 61, 62 may be are rotatablyconnected to a front axle 60 as shown in FIG. 4. The front axle 60 maybe pivotable about a front axle axis 60A connected to a front side 41 ofthe elongated deck board 45 as suggested in FIG. 12. The front axis 60Amay enclose an angle A of more than one degree with a virtual line 65extending perpendicular to the central platform 45 of the elongated deckboard 45. The sling mount 74 may be connected to the elongated deckboard 45 near the front side 41 thereof so that during use a forceapplied to the sling mount 74 by a caregiver standing on the elongateddeck board 45 in a transverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinalaxis 45A of the elongated deck board 45 will cause the elongated deckboard 45 to be tilted and the front axle 60 to be pivoted.

In some embodiments, the child carrier 10 may comprise two back wheels71, 72 being rotatably connected to a back axle 70 as shown in FIG. 4.The back axle 70 may be pivotable about a back-axle axis 70A connectedto a back side 42 of the elongated deck board 45 as shown in FIG. 12.The back axis 70A may enclose an angle B of more than one degree with avirtual line 75 extending perpendicular to the central platform 50 ofthe elongated deck board 45.

In some embodiments, the front-axle axis 60A and the back-axle axis 70Aenclose angles of more than one degree in opposite directions withrespect to the corresponding virtual lines 65, 75 extendingperpendicular to the central platform 50 of the elongated deck board 45as shown in FIG. 12. In some embodiments, the distance between the twofront wheels 61, 62 is about the same as the distance between the twoback wheels 71, 72.

In some embodiments, the sling mount 74 may include a sling frame 80connected with a first end to the elongated deck board 45 near the frontside 41 thereof and provided near a second end with a caregiver grip 82as shown in FIG. 4. The child carrier 10 may further comprise a supportarm 22 connected to the sling frame 80 between the first and second endsthereof and connected to the elongated deck board 45 between the firstend of the sling frame 80 and the back wheel 71 (or 72).

In some embodiments, the sling mount 74 may be foldable from an erectposition to a collapsed position and vice versa as shown in FIGS. 5-10.The sling frame 74 may be pivotably connected with a first end to theelongated deck board 45. The support arm 22 may be pivotably connectedto the sling frame 74 and releasably connected to the elongated deckboard 45 or vice versa.

In some embodiments, the sling mount 74 may be foldable from an erectposition to a collapsed position and vice versa as shown in FIGS. 5-10.The sling frame may be pivotably connected with a first end to theelongated deck board 45.

In some embodiments, the elongated deck board 45 comprises a frontplatform 54 provided with the at least two front wheels 61, 62, acentral platform 50, and a back platform 56 provided with the back wheel71 (or 72) as shown in FIG. 4. The central platform 50 may be loweredwith respect to the front platform 54 and the back platform 56.

In some embodiments, the elongated deck board 45 may be provided with abrake unit 30 for braking the back wheel 71 (or 72) as shown in FIGS. 4and 14. In some embodiments, the child carrier may comprise an optionalelectric motor 99 for driving the front wheels 61, 62 as suggested inFIG. 4. In other embodiments, the motor 99 may be configured to drivethe back wheels 71, 72.

In some embodiments, the child-support sling 76 may be a flexible seatmade of a fabric as shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the elongateddeck board 45 is a whole made as a single unit (monolithic). In otherembodiments, the elongated deck board 45 may be a multi-component part.

1. A child carrier comprising a wheeled base adapted to roll along theground and to support a caregiver standing on the wheeled base, a childseat adapted to support a child seated on the child seat and coupled tothe wheeled base for movement relative to the wheeled base about a seataxis from an upright-use position in which the child seat is arranged toextend upwardly from the wheeled base to a collapsed-storage position inwhich the child seat is arranged to extend along the wheeled base, andlock means for blocking movement of the child seat about the seat axisfrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position so thatthe child carrier is maintained in a configuration that supports a childseated in the child seat above the ground during operation of the childcarrier and for allowing movement of the child seat about the seat axisfrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position so thatthe child carrier can be folded down to have a relatively low profileduring storage of the child carrier.
 2. The child carrier of claim 1,wherein the lock means includes a support arm coupled to the child seatto pivot about an arm axis and a support-arm retainer coupled to thewheeled base and the support-arm retainer is configured to engage thesupport arm when the lock means blocks movement of the child seat fromthe upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position and todisengage the support arm when the lock means allows movement of thechild seat from the upright-use position to the collapsed-storageposition.
 3. The child carrier of claim 2, wherein the support arm isU-shaped and includes a first leg coupled to the child seat along thearm axis, a second leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, anda crossbar spaced apart from the arm axis that interconnects the leftleg and the right leg.
 4. The child carrier of claim 2, wherein thesupport-arm retainer includes a receiver coupled to the wheeled base anda blocker mounted for movement relative to the receiver, the receiver isformed to include a channel sized to receive the support arm, and theblocker is movable from an engaged position arranged to block movementof the support arm out of the channel to a disengaged position arrangedto allow movement of the support arm out of the channel.
 5. The childcarrier of claim 1, wherein the wheeled base includes an elongated deckboard sized to support a caregiver standing on the wheeled base, afront-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deck board, and a back-wheeltruck coupled to the elongated deck board.
 6. The child carrier of claim5, wherein each of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truckincludes a hanger coupled to the elongated deck board, an axle coupledto the hanger, a left wheel coupled to the axle, and a right wheelcoupled to the axle.
 7. The child carrier of claim 6, wherein the axleof each of the front-wheel truck and the back-wheel truck is coupled toone of the corresponding hanger of the front-wheel truck and theback-wheel truck for movement relative to the corresponding hanger aboutan axle axis which forms a non-perpendicular angle with the elongateddeck board.
 8. The child carrier of claim 6, further comprising brakemeans coupled to the wheeled base for resisting rotation of the leftwheel included in the back-wheel truck and the right wheel included inback-wheel truck in response to a caregiver applying a force on thebrake means so that the child carrier can be slowed by the caregiverwhile the caregiver is supported on the child carrier.
 9. The childcarrier of claim 8, wherein the brake means includes a brake pedalcoupled to the elongated deck board to move downwardly relative to theelongated deck board, a left friction plug movable outwardly from afirst position out of contact with the left wheel of the back-wheeltruck to a second position in contact with the left wheel of theback-wheel truck, a right friction plug movable outwardly from a firstposition out of contact with the right wheel of the back-wheel truck toa second position in contact with the right wheel of the back-wheeltruck, a left strut coupled to the brake pedal and to the left frictionplug and configured to covert downward motion of the brake pedal intooutward motion of the left friction plug, and a right strut coupled tothe brake pedal and to the right friction plug to convert downwardmotion of the brake pedal into outward motion of the right frictionplug.
 10. The child carrier of claim 1, wherein the child seat includesa sling frame coupled to the wheeled base for movement about the seataxis, a flexible child-support sling mounted to the sling frame, and acaregiver grip sized to be held by a caregiver coupled to the slingframe.
 11. The child carrier of claim 10, wherein the sling frame isU-shaped and includes a left arm, a right arm, and a cross memberarranged to extend from the left member to the right member, the childseat includes a child grip sized to be held by a child, and the childgrip extends from the left member to the right member of the slingframe.
 12. A child carrier comprising a wheeled base including anelongated deck board sized to support a caregiver standing on theelongated deck board, a front-wheel truck coupled to the elongated deckboard near a front end of the elongated deck board, and a back-wheeltruck coupled to the elongated deck board near a back end of theelongated deck board, and a child seat including a sling frame coupledto the elongated deck board and a child-support sling coupled to thesling frame and sized to support a child sitting on the child seat. 13.The child carrier of claim 12, wherein the child seat is coupled to thewheeled base for movement from an upright-use position in which thechild seat extends upwardly from the wheeled base to support a childseated in the child seat above the ground to a collapse-storage positionin which the child seat extends along the wheeled base to produce arelatively lower profile child carrier for storage.
 14. The childcarrier of claim 13, further comprising a seat-position lock movablefrom a locked configuration arranged to block movement of the child seatfrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position to anunlocked configuration arranged to allow movement of the child seat fromthe upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position.
 15. Thechild carrier of claim 14, wherein the seat position lock includes asupport arm coupled to sling frame of the child seat and a support-armretainer coupled to the elongated deck board of the wheeled base and thesupport-arm retainer is configured to engage the support arm when theseat-position lock blocks movement of the child seat from theupright-use position to the collapsed-storage position and to disengagethe support arm when the lock means allows movement of the child seatfrom the upright-use position to the collapsed-storage position.
 16. Thechild carrier of claim 15, wherein the support arm is U-shaped andincludes a first leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, asecond leg coupled to the child seat along the arm axis, and a crossbarspaced apart from the arm axis that interconnects the left leg and theright leg.
 17. The child carrier of claim 15, wherein the support-armretainer includes a receiver coupled to the wheeled base and a blockermounted for movement relative to the receiver, the receiver is formed toinclude a channel sized to receive the support arm, and the blocker ismovable from an engaged position arranged to block movement of thesupport arm out of the channel to a disengaged position arranged toallow movement of the support arm out of the channel.
 18. The childcarrier of claim 12, wherein each of the front-wheel truck and theback-wheel truck includes a hanger coupled to the elongated deck board,an axle coupled to the hanger for movement relative to the hanger aboutan axle axis which forms a non-perpendicular angle with the elongateddeck board, a left wheel coupled to the axle, and a right wheel coupledto the axle.
 19. The child carrier of claim 12, further comprising abrake unit including a brake pedal coupled to the elongated deck boardto pivot relative to the deck board and a friction plug mounted formovement relative to a wheel included in the back-wheel truck from afirst position out of contact with the wheel of the back-wheel truck toa second position in contact with the wheel of the back-wheel truck. 20.The child carrier of claim 19, wherein the brake unit includes a strutcoupled at a first end to the brake pedal to pivot relative to the brakepedal and at a second end, opposite the first end, to the friction plugto pivot relative to the friction plug.
 21. A child carrier fortransporting a child by an adult, the child carrier comprising a wheeledbase including an elongated deck board having a central platform sizedto provide a footrest for the adult, two front wheels, a back wheel, anda child seat including a sling mount and a child-support sling for thechild connected to the sling mount, wherein the front wheels arerotatably connected to a front axle, the front axle are pivotable abouta front axle axis connected to a front side of the elongated deck board,the front axis encloses an angle of more than one degree with a virtualline extending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongateddeck board, and the sling mount is connected to the elongated deck boardnear the front side thereof so that during use a force applied to thesling mount by a caregiver standing on the elongated deck board in atransverse direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of theelongated deck board will cause the elongated deck board to be tiltedand the front axle to be pivoted.
 22. The child carrier of claim 21,wherein the child carrier comprises two back wheels being rotatablyconnected to a back axle, the back axle being pivotable about a backaxle axis connected to a back side of the elongated deck board, and theback axis encloses an angle of more than one degree with a virtual lineextending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongated deckboard.
 23. The child carrier of claim 22, wherein the front axle axisand the back axle axis enclose angles of more than one degree inopposite directions with respect to the corresponding virtual linesextending perpendicular to the central platform of the elongated deckboard.
 24. The child carrier of claim 22, wherein the distance betweenthe two front wheels is about the same as the distance between the twoback wheels.
 25. The child carrier of claim 21, wherein the sling mountcomprises a sling frame being connected with a first end to theelongated deck board near the front side thereof and provided near asecond end with a caregiver grip, the child carrier further comprises asupport arm connected to the sling frame between the first and secondends thereof and connected to the elongated deck board between the firstend of the sling frame and the back wheel.
 26. The child carrier ofclaim 25, wherein the sling mount is foldable from an erect position toa collapsed position and vice versa, the sling frame is pivotablyconnected with a first end to the elongated deck board, and the supportis pivotably connected to the sling frame and releasably connected tothe elongated deck board or vice versa.
 27. The child carrier of claim25, wherein the sling mount is foldable from an erect position to acollapsed position and vice versa and the sling frame is pivotablyconnected with a first end to the elongated deck board.
 28. The childcarrier of claim 21, wherein the elongated deck board comprises a frontplatform provided with the two front wheels, a central platform and aback platform provided with the back wheel, and wherein the centralplatform is lowered with respect to the front platform and the backplatform.
 29. The child carrier of claim 21, wherein the elongated deckboard is provided with a brake unit for braking the back wheel.
 30. Thechild carrier of claim 21, wherein the child carrier comprises anelectric motor for driving at least one of the front wheels or the backwheel.
 31. The child carrier of claim 21, wherein the child-supportsling is a flexible seat made of a fabric.
 32. The child carrier ofclaim 21, wherein the elongated deck board is monolithic.